1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of office equipment and supplies. More specifically the present invention relates to a portable retaining apparatus for a group of file folders and individual coiled drawing sheets.
The apparatus includes a file folder retaining tray portion and a coiled drawing sheet retaining portion rising from the rear of the tray portion and having several drawing retaining tubes and tube support means. The sides of the apparatus are defined by two parallel and laterally spaced apart side panels which are substantially L-shaped. The sections of the side panels forming the base of the L-shape are the side walls of the tray portion, and the sections of the side panels forming the upright segment of the L-shape are side walls of the coiled drawing sheet retaining portion. A bottom wall extends between the lower ends of the side panels. A forward wall interconnects the side panels at the tray portion forward end and upright an intermediate wall interconnects the side panels substantially beneath the forward end of the sheet retaining portion to define the back wall of the retaining tray portion and to provide structural strength. A rearward wall interconnects the side panels at the side panel rearward ends. Sets of tube flanges and joined to and extend forwardly from the rearward wall and each set supports two rows of drawing retaining tubes. To enhance the portability of the apparatus, a pivoting first handle wraps around the sheet retaining portion upper end and is connected to the upper ends of the side panels. The first handle also serves to wrap over the upper backrest portion of an automobile seat to help hold the apparatus in place during transport. Seat belt loops extend forwardly and integrally from each side panel just above the folder retaining tray. A seat belt is passed through the belt loops to more securely hold the apparatus on an automobile seat. A second handle preferably is connected to and extends forwardly from the forward wall upper end.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been filing cabinets for holding file folders and various bins for storing drawing sheets. Small file boxes have served to retain file folders while being portable. What has not be en provided is a file retaining apparatus capable of securely retaining a group of file folders as well as large drawing sheets. Furthermore nothing portable for individually retaining several coiled drawing sheets has been provided.
Other prior devices include Larson, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 362,022, issued on Sep. 5, 1995 for a document holder. The illustrated holder is a horizontally oriented holder tube resting on a stabilizing stand which keeps the tube from rolling on a support surface such as a table.
Fuller, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 274,767, issued on Jul. 24, 1984, discloses a storage and mailing file for rolled prints, documents, and the like. Fuller appears to be a tubular document holder having a holding tube structure, a tubular bottle with a square exterior for sliding over the tube structure at one end and a tubular cap also with a square exterior for sliding over the tube structure at the opposing end.
Kohler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,051, issued on Nov. 28, 1972, reveals a cabinet for the hanging of drawings, plans or the like. The Kohler cabinet has a fall front and with telescopic straight support rails which are pivotally mounted at their ends, and additionally supported on fixed discs which bear, about their periphery, support positions at various distances from the axis of rotation of the disc. The support is therefore adjustable by rotation of the disc.
Brunett, U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,509, issued on Nov. 24, 1987, teaches an apparatus for supporting and storing engineering drawings and the like. Brunett includes several longitudinally aligned ring binder assemblies each of which includes several rings which can be opened and closed and extended through holes formed in the paper sheets to be supported, an elongated support member connected to and arranged in a supporting relation with the binder assemblies and provision for disposing the support member in a horizontal position with the ring binder assemblies extending downwardly therefrom so that the paper sheets hung on the rings can hang downwardly from the rings.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for retaining both a group of file folders and individual drawing sheets without bending or folding of the drawing sheets.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is compact and portable.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is readily secured to an automobile seat so that architects, engineers and others can conveniently carry the papers they need to field sites.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is durable and inexpensive to manufacture.
The present invention accomplishes the above-stated objectives, as well as others, as may be determined by a fair reading and interpretation of the entire specification.
An apparatus is provided for retaining file folders and drawing sheets, including a file folder retaining tray portion having a tray portion forward end and a tray portion rearward end; and a coiled drawing sheet retaining portion joined to the tray portion, the drawing sheet retaining portion including several drawing retaining tubes and tube support means.
The coiled drawing sheet retaining portion preferably is joined to and rises from the tray portion rearward end. The tray portion and the drawing sheet retaining portion preferably include two parallel and laterally spaced apart side panels which are substantially L-shaped and have side panel lower ends, and side panel forward ends and side panel rearward ends, the side panels defining tray portion and sheet retaining portion side walls; a bottom wall interconnecting the side panel lower ends; a forward wall interconnecting the side panel forward ends; and a rearward wall interconnecting the side panel reward ends. The tube support structures preferably includes at least one set of tube flanges joined to and extend forwardly from the rearward wall, each set of tube flanges supporting a forward and a rearward drawing sheet retaining tube, the at least one set of tube flanges including an upper tube flange extending over and being connected to the drawing sheet retaining tubes and including a lower tube flange extending under and being connected to the drawing sheet retaining tubes.
The apparatus preferably additionally includes an intermediate wall interconnecting the side panels substantially beneath the forward end of the drawing retaining portion to define the back wall of the retaining tray portion and to provide structural strength. The apparatus preferably additionally includes a forwardly extending pocket extending forwardly from the forward wall, for holding office supply items.
The sheet retaining tubes preferably include laterally extending tabs, each tab having a dowel port, and the side panels having inwardly projecting dowels corresponding in location to the dowel ports; so that the dowels snap fit into the dowel ports to removably interconnect the sheet retaining tubes with the side panels.
The side panels have corresponding and directly opposing tube ports with which the drawing sheet holding tubes register. The apparatus preferably additionally includes several elongate and elastic drawing retaining bands which are secured at each end to the side panels and extend across ends of the holding tubes, obstructing drawing sheets from sliding out of the holding tubes. The folder retaining tray portion preferably includes a tray partition wall extending from the forward wall to the intermediate wall to define a file folder tray compartment and a separate item tray compartment.
The apparatus preferably additionally includes a pivoting first handle wrapping around the drawing sheet retaining portion and connected to the side panels for wrapping over an automobile seat backrest to secure the apparatus to an automobile seat. The apparatus preferably still additionally includes seat belt loops extending forwardly and integrally from each of the side panels, so that a seat belt can be passed through the seat belt loops to secure the apparatus on an automobile seat. The apparatus preferably yet additionally includes a second handle connected to and extending forwardly from the forward wall. The rearward wall has a rearward surface, and preferably additionally includes a rearward pocket mounted to the rearward surface of the rearward wall. The apparatus preferably is formed of a durable plastic.